Coal Dust
by mauvemarauder
Summary: Bella lives in the shadow of the coal mines that dominate the town of Cullen, WV, and the burden of being a Swan- white trash. Edward is older and lives a life of privilege in a town that shares his name. Yet, the two share an undeniable connection. All human. E/B.


Coal Dust

Ch. 1

Bella Swan tugged the legs of her shorts down in a futile attempt to lenghten them. She had grown a lot this summer and there wasn't any money to buy new clothes. She was used to making do, but she couldn't help but feel a little exposed walking down main street in her now short-shorts.

She wished she had worn her jeans. But it was the hottest summer Cullen, West Virgina had seen in years and it would be a long walk up the mountain home if she didn't manage to hitch a ride. She sure hoped she found a ride today. The heavy bag of books she had gotten from the library was already weighing down her shoulder.

"Well, well, look at Bella Swan!" A voice called from across the street. It was her brothers' friend Garrett Harris. He was handsome enough, or so other girls told her, with his tall, lanky frame and shaggy blond hair, but he had a way of looking at her that made her uncomfortable. "Ain't you just all grown up?"

She tugged at her shorts again. "You just saw me last week. I look exactly the same." That was all the encouragment Garrett needed to cross the street.

"Your brothers aren't here now, that has a way of making a girl look prettier." He grinned broadly. "How 'bout I buy you a drink?" Garrett had just turned twenty-one and had enjoyed the novelty of buying beer in a store. Not that he or any of her brothers' circle found it difficult to get it before.

"You know no one would serve me a drink," She rolled her eyes. "I'm only sixteen."

"We could drink it somewhere else." He gestured loosely towards the mountain. "Or I'll buy you a coke from Newton's." He ran a hand through his sweat-moistened hair. "Hell, it's too hot to be outside anyways."

Bella felt sweaty and was already dreading the walk home. Drinking a cherry coke in the cool A/C sounded like the nicest thing in the world. "I'll take you up on the coke."

A few minutes later, she wished she hadn't. She had never liked Newton's Drug Store. The newspaper and magazine clippings on the wall might give it that "small town" feel Cullen's few tourist went on and on about, but they made her feel sick to her stomach. And the owner, Mr. Newton always looked at her like she was dirt, just because she was a Swan.

Right when they walked in he looked at her with distaste. "Garrett, does your daddy know who you're spending time with?"

" 'doubt he puts much of a thought to it, he doesn't like to think on much when he leaves the mine." Garrett shrugged. "We'll have two cokes." Bella wanted a cherry coke. But she wanted not to look at Mr. Newton more, so she stared mutely at the mock marble counter top.

It was only after they had their cokes and Garrett had led her to a red booth as far away from Mr. Newton as possible in the tiny store that she spoke. "I should've warned you. He hates me. He'll probably tell your daddy in church on Sunday."

"Good luck with that," Garrett laughed. "My daddy hasn't been to church since the mine caved in. He says if there was a God there wouldn't be any miners. Reckon it's been a decade since he made it to a Sunday sermon."

"This June it was nine years," Bella informed him quietly. As much as she wanted to forget that day, it was impossible to. Everyone in town had been touched when the mine collapsed and killed ten men. Rarely a day went by when someone didn't reference it. Except her family who never spoke of it, even in the slightest.

"I'm sorry." Garrett offered contritely, suddenly remembering that Charlie Swan had been the last man pulled out from the mine, his body battered and still.

She shrugged nonchanlantly. "You can make it up to me with a ride home."

"Sure thing," He drawled. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady walk home in this heat?"

A few miles into the ride, Garrett proved he was no gentleman at all, his hand trailing up her leg in a caress. She slapped his hand away once. Twice. A third time. "Let me out."

"Honey, you know I ain't going to hurt you." He looked offended, as he had the other times he had gotten too friendly and she had rebuffed him. "Do you really want to walk all the way up this damned mountain 'cause I'm being affectionate?"

"It's not so far anymore. You drove me half way." She twisted her lips into a smile, knowing that Garrett was likely as not going to be at the family trailer tonight. "Thanks for the ride. I appreciate it."

"Alright, alright," He sighed dramtically, stopping his truck. "Can I have a kiss goodbye?" But she was already out, waving as she began quickly walking.

Bella did not have much experience with boys, romantically speaking. She practically lived at the Black house and there were five boys in the family, and of course there was her own two brothers, so she knew the male ways. When other girls acted mystified by boys or intrigued by a show of testosterone, she rolled her eyed- unimpressed.

She had never been the type of girl to have a crush on a "cute" boy. Fortunately for her, since none of the decent boys in her year would ever consider dating a Swan. Occasionally she thought longingly of Sam Black, who had always been so kind and decent and sweet. But even she was aware she hero worshipped him and that he not only considered her too young for his nineteen but saw her as somewhat of a kid sister.

So she would have to find some other boy, one day in the far away future, to learn with. But that boy would not be Garrett Harris. He was too much like what she came from to ever appeall to her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a stopping car. It was the nicest car she had ever seen this far up the mountain, a shiny silver volvo. The window rolled down.

"Did you car break down?" The driver asked. He was a goodlooking man, with mused auburn hair and green eyes. The collar of his shirt was looked impossibly stiff and impossibly white. "I'm not much good with cars, but I could take a look."

"I'm just walking home." She laughed. He couldn't be from around here, she guessed.

"Oh," He looked around, taking in the hot midday sun and the endless trees. He looked at his watch. And then he looked at her. Bella knew in her too short, shorts and her faded thrift store shirt that advertised a team she had never heard of, she didn't look like the kind of girl you wanted to pick up on the side of the road.

It was probably worse today, with the heat making her feel like more puddle than person and her bag of books hanging lankly from her shoulder.

"Do you, um, do you need a ride?" He asked almost reluctantly.

Suddenly Bella felt an odd anger to this nice enough stranger. She didn't need anything from anyone, certainly not a ride from some man who had to check his watch before asking. She definitely didn't need him to see the squalor that was her home.

"No, it's not far."

The man drove away and Bella felt an odd sort of abandonment. She wondered if one day she would ever feel equal enough to a well-dressed man in a new car to accept a ride, without wondering how her clothes and living situation would be perceived.

She doubted it.

a/n: My story Abandonded has been temporarily...abandoned. But do not fear with this story, I have the next few chapters already written and will post in intervals.

Also, this story is going to take place over several years of Bella and Edward's life. The strong romance won't take place immediately because Bella is a little younger than Edward and Edward isn't the kind of guy to take advantage of this young, impoverished girl without a lot of experience or emotional resources.


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